Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-04-15
THE MINERAL CABINET.
Meeting of the Library Trustees-Tht
Missing Specimens.


Meeting of the Library Trustees-The
Missing Specimens.
The Trustees of the State Library met
last evening. Present, Judge Belcher, and
Messrs. Edgerton and Freeman, and Ii
brarian Wallis. By invitation there were
present also the Trustees of the Mineral
Cabinet now in possession of the Library
Trustees, State Mineralogist Irelan and
his Assistant Mr.. Snyder, R. o. Cravens,
ex-State Librarian, Colonel Belcher and
Mr. Bell. Mr. Wallis stated that he had
asked the Board to meet to arrange for the
transfer of the mineral cabinet TO the new
Trustees, who had asked that it be turned
over to them. He also referred to stories
that had been in circulation concerning
missing specimens from the cabinet, and
he desired the Board to examine into the
matter thoroughly. He presented his
affidavit, setting forth that he had
not, on taking charge of the library, re-
ceived any catalogue of the cabinet, nor
had he ever seen one. or knew of the ex-
istence of any. Since the story had gone
out that some such document existed,
affiant had caused inquiry to be made of
the ex-Librarian (Crayens), as to the fact,
and search had been instituted, and in one
of the drawers of the cabinet the supposed
catalogue had been found. A long and
rather informal consultation was then had
between the two Boards as to how to trans
fer the cabinet so as to make record of
what would be delivered, and to pass re-
ceipts for the same. Judge Belcher and
Mr.. Freeman took up and examined the
bundles OF manuscript referred to as a
catalogue. Both gentlemen discovered
that it is rather an index to the cases,
and with scores of numbers left blank,
and it did not appear to be any such
a catalogue as would enable the specimens
to be identified with any certainty. Mr..
Cravens, on inquiry made, expla
that prior to the State buying the cabinet of
DR.. Frey, it appointed board of apprais-
ers to examine the same, and if they de-
cided it to be worth $4,000, they were
authorized to pay that sum for it, and that
was done. 1t was delivered in boxes, the
specimens done up in paper, that was
marked, but no catalogue of il was deliv-
cred to the State. A year, or year and a
half afterwards, the Library Trustees en-
gagged mineralogist and an assistant to
classify the exhibits. The gentlemen en-
tered upon that work, and made out
the papers now found, and called
rows of numbers to classify the
specimens, but probably because the classes
did not fill, many of these numbers are
left blank He could not say whether the
work was completed. Judge Belcher
thought all the Board had to do was to
turn over the property as it is to the new
Board. Mr.. Edgerton proposed to hire a
mineralogist at $40 day 10 catalogue the
exhibits. Mr.. Freeman doubted if the
Library Trustees could use library money
for that purpose and after quite debate,
agreed with Judge Belcher, that in the
absence of an original catalogue, and in
the incomplete and uncertain character of
the list now found, which in large num-
Der of cases had but number and single
word-as the name of county or mining
district, and so on-that any attempt to
catalogue the cabinet into a receipt
would be useless. The Cabinet Trustees
said to the Library Trustees, that all they
had to do was to take the cabinet as it is !;
any cataloguing the Library Trustees
might do would be an aid to them, but if it
was not done they would take it as it
stands, and ask the Library Trustees to put
a man in the room and see that they re-
ceipted for all they got. Judge Belcher
could not see how they could receipt for
each specimen, and identify them, if, as
stated, hundreds OF the specimens bore no
numbers. Librarian Wallis explained that
many of the specimens were not num-
bered, fully half of them are in drawers,
and have been handled by visitors for years
and misplaced, and some had been moved
out OF the places they originally occupied
to make better display in the glass cases
above the drawers. 1t was impossible to
keep a deputy at the elbow of every
visitor, and pilfering was not difficult
from the drawers. He said there had
been talk of the Australian gold specimen
and gold nugget-alleged to be worth
S., 000-being missing. He pointed to both
on the table, and asked the Cabinet Trus-
tees if he had not on their first call exhib-
tied them, and he received an affirmative
response. They had been kept in the office
safe of recent years, because of the ease
with which the cabinet could be robbed.
State Mineralogist Irelan gave it as his
opinion that to catalogue the exhibits with
out classifying them would be of no special
value, and be long task, and, in the alb
sence of an original catalogue, quite use
less. Mr.. Snyder was much of the same
opinion. He had helped arrange the cab
met originally, was familiar with il, and
could classify it easily. The entire COM
pany then adjourned to the cabinet-room.
1t is an ordinary chamber, with one door
leading into the library and one into the
main hall. Over the latter is an ordinary
glass transom. About half the specimens
are in drawers without locks, the others in
glass cases with locks that any common
desk key will fit. Because of the danger
of pilfering, the heavy iron rods now run
ming around the cases were put on last fall,
and secured by patent trap locks. Exam
ination showed that only portion of the
specimens bear numbers, and it would be
simply impossible to identify them by the
list now in possession of the Board. 1t was
found also that several paper boxes marked
gold, and supposed to have originally held
gold specimens, are now empty. Some of
them have been misplaced. and two or
more specimens are to be seen in one box
Others, it was stated had been stolen.
The cabinets are crowded into small
room, the alleys are narrow, the drawers
without fastenings, and the Boards both
agreed that unless a watcher was at the
elbow of every visitor it would be per-
fectly easy thing to pocket specimens at
will, and even Gexterous hand could defy
a watcher Mr. lrelan and Mr.. Snyder
both expressed their opinion of the high
value of the collection both for mineral
ogical and geological specimens, and es-
specially because of duplicates that will
find ready exchangefo new specimens. On
reassembling there was unanimous agree
ment by the Library Trustees to turn over
the cabinet, as it is to the new Trustees,
with all the property attaching, and an
order to that effect was made. Mayor
Gregory said mis- Board would in a few days
take possession; that its duty was simply
to take whatever was turned over to it, and
care for it, The Cabinet Trustees then re-
tired, and the question came up as to
whether Mr.. Cravens, on retiring as Libra
rian, had turned over the cabinet list re-
terred to, to Wallis. The latter denied that
it had been done. and MIR. Cravens insisted
that he had told Mr.. Wallis that the list
was in the cabinet drawer, and there the
matter rests. During the remarks concern
ing the supposition that some specimens
have been stolen, Trustee Freeman said
that some years ago the Board knew that
party had distracted specimens from the
cases-at least the Board so believed. The
man was detected, and left the country. 1t
is understood that the person referred to
was not followed up because of the diff
Guilty of making the fact legal certainty.
DIRT ON THE MIND" Recollections
My Mother by Susan 7. Lesley, gives an
interesting picture of life in Northampton
fifty years ago. The mother was Mrs Ly-
man, famous for her hospitality and her
devotion to reading. Here is a suggestive
bit for housekeepers. One day a friend